At various points in this blog, I've shared about my journey exploring different camera systems.
I started my photography journey a long time ago, but my first foray into "serious" shooting was when I purchased a Canon Kiss X, or 400D as it's known outside of Japan - an inexpensive APS-C camera that introduced me to the world of interchangeable lenses.
Body: Canon EOS Kiss Digital X; Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f4 L at 1/25 sec, f4, ISO 400
I eventually moved on to a Sony A7ii, my first full-frame camera. This was a period of immense growth for me - I really began to understand how aperture size, ISO, shutter speed, focal lengths, crop factors, and many other variables worked. The pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. For the first time, I was beginning to take photos that I was proud of.
Body: Sony A7ii; Lens: Zeiss Batis 85mm f1.8 at 1/2000 sec, f2, ISO 100
After using the A7ii for many years, I swapped out the Sony system for a Fuji one, comprising an X-T2 and a GFX50S. The X-T2 was a trusty and reliable APS-C workhorse and outstanding travel camera with one of my favorite lenses of all time - the 35/1.4 (roughly a 50mm equivalent). The GFX50S was a medium format camera with excellent image quality and beautiful tonal transitions.
Body: Fujifilm X-T2; Lens: XF 35mm f1.4 at 1/4000 sec, f1.4, ISO 400
I recently decided to move back to Canon, coming full circle. I now shoot primarily with a Canon R5, with a 6D as backup. I made this switch for 2 reasons: (i) the absolutely stunning RF50/1.2L - this lens alone makes it worth getting a Canon RF body; and (ii) color toning.
As you may be aware from some of my previous posts, the more experienced I got, the more sensitive to colors I became. I switched from Sony to Fuji because of how the A7ii sensor rendered yellows and oranges in skin tones. One of the reasons I prefer Canon to Fuji is because of how Fuji's sensors tend to render stronger greens. Don't get me wrong, Sony makes fantastic cameras and lenses, and Fuji's cameras are perfectly capable of producing gorgeous photos, but my own personal preferences lean towards a more neutral rendering of colors and skin tones and I find that Canon provides that for me. 90% of the time, I don't need to make any major color adjustments, and skin tones consistently render beautifully.
I'm very happy with the new setup and Canon has done a remarkable job with its mirrorless RF system.
Body: Canon R5; Lens: RF 50mm f1.2 L at 1/2000 sec, f1.2, ISO 500
My current gear list is below, for reference:
Main kit
Canon R5 body (full-frame mirrorless)
Canon RF 50mm f1.2L
Canon RF 16mm f2.8
Canon EF 70mm - 300mm f4-5.6 L (I use this frequently with the R5 and a mount converter)
Canon EF to RF mount converter
Backup kit
Canon 6D (full-frame DSLR backup body)
Canon EF 50mm f1.8 - the "nifty fifty"
Canon EF 70mm - 300mm f4-5.6 L (same lens listed above in the main kit)
If you want to get into Canon's mirrorless system, I think the Canon RP body and the RF50/1.8 (the "nifty fifty" for the RF mount) is an excellent and relatively inexpensive entry point into an outstanding system that will only get better as Canon releases more lenses for the RF mount.
You can also get the EF-RF mount converter, which opens up Canon's existing collection of EF lenses. This will allow you to pick up some excellent lenses at a lower price point and with the converter, they will work as though they are native RF lenses.
Let me know what your favorite cameras and lenses are on Instagram!
Please consider sharing your photos with the community by tagging #dharmaportraits on your Instagram photos - I'd love to see how you're using these tips to create beautiful photos.